#§%%%««,,,                                          ,,,««%%%§#
####§%*«:,                                          ,:«*%§####
###£§%*«:,                                          ,:«*%§£###
####£§%«:,                                          ,:«%§£####
###£§%*«:,                                          ,:«*%§£###
###£§%*«:,               WINDS ESKER                ,:«*%§£###
##£§**::,, «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« ,,::**§£##
#£££§%*«:,                                          ,:«*%§£££#
###£§%*«:, THERE WAS THIS PLACE THAT FOR TWO  YEARS ,:«*%§£###
£%««,,,,,, I COULDN'T  GO TO.  REGARDLESS HOW  MUCH ,,,,,,««%£
##§***::,, DISCUSSED  WITH  OTHERS, OR POINTED  OUT ,,::***§##
###£§%*«:, ON  MAPS, I COULD  NOT  THINK OF IT WHEN ,:«*%§£###
##§§%*««:, ALONE.  I  WOULD  OFTEN  TRAVEL PAST THE ,:««*%§§##
#£%*«::,,, FORK, WHERE A  RIGHT  TURN  WOULD SURELY ,,,::«*%£#
###£§%*«:, TAKE ME  THERE, BUT EVEN THEN, SOMETHING ,:«*%§£###
###£§%*«:,               KEPT ME AWAY.              ,:«*%§£###
###£§%*«:,                                          ,:«*%§£###
#£§**«,,,, WHEN  I FINALLY  GOT  THERE, AFTER  SOME ,,,,«**§£#
###£§%*«:,     HEAVY SUBCONSCIOUS BATTLE I MUST     ,:«*%§£###
###£§%*«:, ASSUME,   THE   PLACE  WAS  SURREAL.  AN ,:«*%§£###
£§****«:,, ESKER, LIKE  A NEEDLE-THIN  RIFT OUT  IN ,,:«****§£
£%«««::,,, THE  LAKE,  BUT   TEN  METERS  HIGH  AND ,,,::«««%£
£§§§§%*«:, ADORNED IN  BIRCH, WILLOW, BRACKEN,  AND ,:«*%§§§§£
##§§%%*«:,               BLUEBERRIES.               ,:«*%%§§##
#£%%**::,,                                          ,,::**%%£#
£§%%%%*«:, WALKING  ATOP  THAT  SPINE,  I  CAME  TO ,:«*%%%%§£
###£§%*«:, NOTICE  THE  VIEW TO EITHER  SIDE. THERE ,:«*%§£###
###£§%*«:, SHOULD  BE  SHORES,  OF  COURSE,  BUT  I ,:«*%§£###
##§§§%*«:, DIDN'T RECOGNIZE  THEM. FIRST OFF,  THEY ,:«*%§§§##
###£§%*«:, WERE MUCH TOO CLOSE,  AS THE LAKE SHOULD ,:«*%§£###
###£§%*«:, STRETCH FOR A  HUNDRED  METERS  MORE  ON ,:«*%§£###
###£§%*«:, BOTH  SIDES.  BUT NOW  I  FELT  I  COULD ,:«*%§£###
££££§%*«:, ALMOST REACH  OUT  AND TOUCH  THEM.  AND ,:«*%§££££
£££§§%*«:, THEN, WHEN I REALIZED WHICH  SHORES THEY ,:«*%§§£££
###£§%*«:,           WERE, I HAD TO STOP.           ,:«*%§£###
£%*«::::,,                                          ,,::::«*%£
£§*«,,,,,, THEY  WERE OF THE RIGHT  LAKE. BUT  THIS ,,,,,,«*§£
##§§**:,,,      LAKE IS LARGE, FRACTURED, AND       ,,,:**§§##
###£§%*«:, BIPARTITE. LIKE A  PAIR  OF LUNGS CARVED ,:«*%§£###
£%«,,,,,,, INTO THE GRANITE, AND  WITH NO LESS THAN ,,,,,,,«%£
£%«:,,,,,,   FIVE COMMUNITIES ANCHORED AT VARIOUS   ,,,,,,:«%£
#£££§%*«:,      POINTS. AND SO, STUDYING THESE      ,:«*%§£££#
####§%*«:,    IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE SHORES, I SLOWLY     ,:«*%§####
£§%%*::::, UNDERSTOOD THEM  AS BELONGING MANY MILES ,::::*%%§£
###£§%*«:,                  AWAY.                   ,:«*%§£###
###£§%*«:,                                          ,:«*%§£###
##££§%*«:, I  EXAMINED  THE   RIDGE,  THE  TREELINE ,:«*%§££##
###£§%*«:, ABOVE. WAS  THIS  WHAT YOU SAW OPPOSITE, ,:«*%§£###
###£§%*«:, FROM  THOSE  OTHER  SHORES?  I  COULDN'T ,:«*%§£###
###£§%*«:,                 REMEMBER.                ,:«*%§£###
#£%%%%*«:,                                          ,:«*%%%%£#
££££§%*«:, CARRYING  FORWARD,  ON  THE VERY  TIP OF ,:«*%§££££
###£§%*«:, THE ESKER, I  FOUND  THE  RUINS  OF SOME ,:«*%§£###
£%««,,,,,,    OLD BUILDING. THERE WERE OVERGROWN    ,,,,,,««%£
###£§%*«:, MARBLE STAIRCASES, STONE FLOORS BENEATH  ,:«*%§£###
###£§%*«:, THE MOSS,  AND  STRANGE  SLABS  INSERTED ,:«*%§£###
#§§%%%*«:, INTO  THE SLOPE  LIKE  DAMS AGAINST  THE ,:«*%%%§§#
#§%%«::,,,              GROUND ITSELF.              ,,,::«%%§#
£%*::,,,,,                                          ,,,,,::*%£
##£§*:,,,, SITTING  THERE, I  COULD  SEE ACROSS THE ,,,,:*§£##
#£%*«:,,,, NARROWED LAKE MY ENTIRE PATH  TO WHERE I ,,,,:«*%£#
#£%%*«,,,, SAT: FROM THE  STAIRWELL  OF  MY  HOUSE, ,,,,«*%%£#
###£§%*«:, THROUGH THE OLD  WOODS  BEHIND  THE TILE ,:«*%§£###
£%%%«:,,,,      FACTORY, THE BRIDGE OVER ROUTE      ,,,,:«%%%£
###£§%*«:, TWENTY THREE  AND  THEN BACK  UNDER  IT, ,:«*%§£###
#£§%***«:, THROUGH  THE  FANCY   VILLAS,  OVER  THE ,:«***%§£#
###£§%*«:, FIELDS, AND THEN THAT RIGHT  TURN AT THE ,:«*%§£###
####§%*«:,                  FORK.                   ,:«*%§####
###£§%*«:,                                          ,:«*%§£###
###£§%*«:, AND  THEN THE STAIRS  UP  ON THE  RIDGE. ,:«*%§£###
#§*«:::,,, THINKING  BACK, THIS  WAS  PROBABLY  IT. ,,,:::«*§#
###£§%*«:, HIDDEN  IN A GROVE,  THERE  WERE  STAIRS ,:«*%§£###
###£§%*«:, MUCH LIKE THE ONES  I CURRENTLY  SAT ON, ,:«*%§£###
###£§%*«:, OLD AND  WORN  DOWN,  THAT LEAD  YOU  UP ,:«*%§£###
##§§**«:,, ONTO THE ESKER.  THE POINT OF ENTRY. HAD ,,:«**§§##
££%%«,,,,, I  INSTED  OPTED TO WALK THE PATH AT ITS ,,,,,«%%££
###£§%*«:, FOOT,  I'M SURE MY  EXPERIENCE  WOULD'VE ,:«*%§£###
####£§%«:,          BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED.          ,:«%§£####
###£§%*«:,                                          ,:«*%§£###
#£%*:,,,,, «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« ,,,,,:*%£#
#££%*«:,,,                                          ,,,:«*%££#
##§§§%*«:, ON  THE  LAKE,  THERE  WERE   PEOPLE  IN ,:«*%§§§##
##£§**:::, BOATS.  I WONDERED, COULD THEY  EVEN SEE ,:::**§£##
#§*«:,,,,, ME?  IF  I  SHOUTED, WOULD THEY  TURN TO ,,,,,:«*§#
###£§%*«:,         STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?          ,:«*%§£###
##§%«,,,,,                                          ,,,,,«%§##
##§*:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:*§##
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#££§§%*«:,                                          ,:«*%§§££#
#£%*:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:*%£#